Rep. James Comer (R-KY) said it was a mistake for former President Donald Trump not to bomb fentanyl and crystal meth labs in Mexico despite the country being an ally of the United States.
Comer, who is the new chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, told Fox News on Tuesday that it was a mistake for Trump not to order a military strike on drug labs in Mexico in an attempt to stop drug trafficking.
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“One of the things we learned post-Trump presidency is that he had ordered a bombing of a couple of fentanyl labs, crystal meth labs, in Mexico, just across the border, and for whatever reason, the military didn’t do it,” Comer said. “I think that was a mistake.”
Trump allegedly proposed firing missiles into Mexico in 2020, making the suggestion to then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Trump apparently said they would be able to keep the attack a secret and that no one would be able to trace it back to the U.S.
Esper, who wrote about the exchange in his book A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Defense Secretary in Extraordinary Times, said he was stunned at the suggestion. When asked about the exchange, Trump said he had no comment.
Comer’s comments come as the U.S. faces a fentanyl crisis at the southern border. The illegal flow of fentanyl and other drugs from Mexican cartels is a major contributor to the problem. Comer claimed that there have been many deaths in the U.S. because of the drug trafficking schemes.
“One of the things that the Oversight Committee has learned about the Mexican government during its investigation on border security is that they meet with these drug cartels the way that the United States meets with the Chamber of Commerce or labor unions,” Comer said. “This is wrong, and the U.S. needs to completely reverse its policy against Mexico and take a firm stance against all the crimes being committed in Mexico.”
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Comer also called for keeping a military presence on both sides of the southern border.
The GOP, which won back the House of Representatives during the 2022 midterm elections, is attempting to crack down on border issues. Another Oversight subcommittee hearing on disrupting crime at the border is scheduled for Wednesday.
